Review by Felix on May 10, 2019.

Victorious Among the Damned? Well, maybe it's true that Forgotten Chaos belonged to the damned, but unfortunately, they were not victorious. A short existence ended by suicide and to be honest, this was no big loss for the scene. Forgotten Chaos were, sorry for that, quickly forgotten.

It might be that the musicians did not lack technical skills, authenticity or enthusiasm. But regardless of their ambitions, they were definitely not able to write good songs. It is no exaggeration to say that each and every track remains faceless. I don't want to be cynical, but I am almost surprised that one can write 13 tracks without any flash of inspiration. The music leaves absolutely no impact. A rumbling, mid-paced mishmash with monotonous vocals is all I hear. Many instrumental parts come and go without presenting atmosphere, intensity or dynamic. The rare melodies sound extremely boring. "Psykeltic Sacrifice" tries to score with a Celtic Frost-inspired riffing at the beginning, but it mutates quickly to a blurred disaster. I really don't know what went wrong during the record session, but all these results show blatantly that Forgotten Chaos were badly advised to publish this material. Almost needless to say that they also have a suicidal tendency and therefore they destroy the pretty acceptable beginning of "Forgotten Chaos" in a matter of seconds. 

Aggravating this situation, the production must be considered as a total flop. The "vokillz" are somewhere in the background, the guitar sound is horrific. Not to mention the six strings. Is this the young Quorthon (R.I.P.) on dope? The guitars sound ill-defined, imprecise and synthetic, far away from the icy guitar sounds that once came from Norway into our comfortably tempered living rooms. From this follows that any form of black metal mood is totally missing. It's just a permanent noise and I really wonder that nobody forced the studio team to record the songs again. But maybe a clever guy realized that these tracks will never hit the mark, regardless of the exact mix. However, it hurts to listen to this output, because the band's idealism was not crowned with success. Only the artwork has a certain charm.

Bands like Forgotten Chaos made their contribution to the black metal overkill. I am sure they had good intentions, but this alone is not enough. Don't record an album as long as you are not able to write at least one impressive chorus. Or a catchy riff. Or atmospheric sequences that can fire the listener's imagination. Or thrilling breaks. Or... I don't know. Just accept the fact that you belong to the damned who do not have the skills to forge a good full-length. By the way, I share this fate.

Rating: 1.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 10, 2019.

Victorious Among the Damned? Well, maybe it's true that Forgotten Chaos belonged to the damned, but unfortunately, they were not victorious. A short existence ended by suicide and to be honest, this was no big loss for the scene. Forgotten Chaos were, sorry for that, quickly forgotten.

It might be that the musicians did not lack technical skills, authenticity or enthusiasm. But regardless of their ambitions, they were definitely not able to write good songs. It is no exaggeration to say that each and every track remains faceless. I don't want to be cynical, but I am almost surprised that one can write 13 tracks without any flash of inspiration. The music leaves absolutely no impact. A rumbling, mid-paced mishmash with monotonous vocals is all I hear. Many instrumental parts come and go without presenting atmosphere, intensity or dynamic. The rare melodies sound extremely boring. "Psykeltic Sacrifice" tries to score with a Celtic Frost-inspired riffing at the beginning, but it mutates quickly to a blurred disaster. I really don't know what went wrong during the record session, but all these results show blatantly that Forgotten Chaos were badly advised to publish this material. Almost needless to say that they also have a suicidal tendency and therefore they destroy the pretty acceptable beginning of "Forgotten Chaos" in a matter of seconds. 

Aggravating this situation, the production must be considered as a total flop. The "vokillz" are somewhere in the background, the guitar sound is horrific. Not to mention the six strings. Is this the young Quorthon (R.I.P.) on dope? The guitars sound ill-defined, imprecise and synthetic, far away from the icy guitar sounds that once came from Norway into our comfortably tempered living rooms. From this follows that any form of black metal mood is totally missing. It's just a permanent noise and I really wonder that nobody forced the studio team to record the songs again. But maybe a clever guy realized that these tracks will never hit the mark, regardless of the exact mix. However, it hurts to listen to this output, because the band's idealism was not crowned with success. Only the artwork has a certain charm.

Bands like Forgotten Chaos made their contribution to the black metal overkill. I am sure they had good intentions, but this alone is not enough. Don't record an album as long as you are not able to write at least one impressive chorus. Or a catchy riff. Or atmospheric sequences that can fire the listener's imagination. Or thrilling breaks. Or... I don't know. Just accept the fact that you belong to the damned who do not have the skills to forge a good full-length. By the way, I share this fate.

Rating: 1.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 10, 2019.

Victorious Among the Damned? Well, maybe it's true that Forgotten Chaos belonged to the damned, but unfortunately, they were not victorious. A short existence ended by suicide and to be honest, this was no big loss for the scene. Forgotten Chaos were, sorry for that, quickly forgotten.

It might be that the musicians did not lack technical skills, authenticity or enthusiasm. But regardless of their ambitions, they were definitely not able to write good songs. It is no exaggeration to say that each and every track remains faceless. I don't want to be cynical, but I am almost surprised that one can write 13 tracks without any flash of inspiration. The music leaves absolutely no impact. A rumbling, mid-paced mishmash with monotonous vocals is all I hear. Many instrumental parts come and go without presenting atmosphere, intensity or dynamic. The rare melodies sound extremely boring. "Psykeltic Sacrifice" tries to score with a Celtic Frost-inspired riffing at the beginning, but it mutates quickly to a blurred disaster. I really don't know what went wrong during the record session, but all these results show blatantly that Forgotten Chaos were badly advised to publish this material. Almost needless to say that they also have a suicidal tendency and therefore they destroy the pretty acceptable beginning of "Forgotten Chaos" in a matter of seconds. 

Aggravating this situation, the production must be considered as a total flop. The "vokillz" are somewhere in the background, the guitar sound is horrific. Not to mention the six strings. Is this the young Quorthon (R.I.P.) on dope? The guitars sound ill-defined, imprecise and synthetic, far away from the icy guitar sounds that once came from Norway into our comfortably tempered living rooms. From this follows that any form of black metal mood is totally missing. It's just a permanent noise and I really wonder that nobody forced the studio team to record the songs again. But maybe a clever guy realized that these tracks will never hit the mark, regardless of the exact mix. However, it hurts to listen to this output, because the band's idealism was not crowned with success. Only the artwork has a certain charm.

Bands like Forgotten Chaos made their contribution to the black metal overkill. I am sure they had good intentions, but this alone is not enough. Don't record an album as long as you are not able to write at least one impressive chorus. Or a catchy riff. Or atmospheric sequences that can fire the listener's imagination. Or thrilling breaks. Or... I don't know. Just accept the fact that you belong to the damned who do not have the skills to forge a good full-length. By the way, I share this fate.

Rating: 1.5 out of 10

Review by Jacobo on February 13, 2005.

In the last few years there has been resurgence in old-school sounding metal projects, be it thrash, speed, or death. Demonoid play old-school death/thrash combined with some modern day metal elements. Three members of the band, Kristian Niemann, Johan Niemann and Christopher Johnsson come from the well-established Therion. The fourth, Richard Evensand, is the ex-drummer of Soilwork and the explosive Chimaira.

Let’s get to the point: Does Demonoid´s debut run through your head like a freakin’ bulldozer? Yes – and resulting in major damage. Riders of the Apocalypse has got to be one of the best death/thrash CD’s released not only this year, but in the last decade. It is fast, intelligent, fast, heavy, fast, technical, fast and originally fresh.

One could say that Riders of the Apocalypse is the follow-up to the mighty Ho Drakon Ho Megas, released by Therion in 1993. It could have been the bridge between this record and Lepaca Kliffoth, Therion´s best release. ROTA dabbles in some experimentation and little pieces of melody, but in the end it is still an all-out death/thrash attack that shows no compromise.

On this record, Christopher Johnsson delivers his best vocal performance ever. He has the deep, death growls and the screechy, blacker ones as well. Some thought he had forgotten to growl with the direction of latter day Therion, but this proves that notion wrong. The Niemann brothers do an amazing job behind their axes and Richard Evensand proves that he is one of the most entertaining drummers. Production-wise, if you liked the sounds on Therion´s latest double CD, you will love this, it’s exactly the same.

The first three tracks, “Wargods,” “Firestorms” and “Witchburners” show no mercy, leaving no one standing. The fourth song, “The 14th plague,” is the darkest and doomiest song on Demonoid´s debut. All tracks are real killers except, “The Evocation.” It’s not bad, but it surely doesn’t live up to the level of the other compositions. The other tracks are so good, “The Evocation” could be called the album filler. Riders of the Apocalypse is that good.

This CD stands above all the crap that has been released lately in every single metal genre. I hope we have more of the same from Demonoid in the future. I would even advise the Therion gang to stop doing their symphonic crap and focus on this assassin – metal as true and powerful as it can get!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 of 10